Bus shelter request leads to a line of questions at South River council

By Olivia Bradbury/Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

At a previous meeting, South River council discussed a request from a resident who asked the Town to build a bus shelter. Council refused the request. This month, the request came again, only this time the resident proposed to build the structure himself and place it near the playground on Springfield Road. That got council thinking.

Councillor Eric Snow expressed concerns about vandalism and disruption, recalling there was a bus shelter near the Red Circle store in South River years ago.

“There was nothing but a racket up there all the time, all night long,” said Snow. “They’d tip it over, they’d do whatever.”

However, Councillor David Petten said youths do not wander about town now like they did in the past.

Snow agreed, noting that near his own home, there are a number of children whose parents drive them to a stop on the school bus route every day.

Petten said those are typically the only children one sees nowadays, and they are generally younger as well.

Councillor Ryan Snow questioned whether allowing the resident to build a bus shelter would encourage other residents to do so, with the result that bus shelters of different sizes, colours, qualities, and so on might start popping up throughout town with no sense of uniformity to the structures.

Council agreed it would need to see a proposal from the resident that showed the design and specifications of the bus shelter he wants to build.

Council also addressed the issue of liability should a bus shelter be built on Town land, as would be the case with the proposed location on Springfield Road. The members resolved to contact the Town’s lawyer and insurance company to make sure they are covered before doing anything further.